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You don’t want to miss this 5-star apple cranberry crisp recipe! This vegan apple cranberry crisp is a fun twist on classic apple crisp, with tart dried cranberries tucked into a cinnamon apple filling under a buttery oat topping. It’s a sweet finish to a menu of vegan Thanksgiving recipes, a great Christmas dessert, and it makes the perfect homestyle comfort dessert on a cold fall day.

completed Apple Cranberry Crisp with a piece plated on a small white plate against a white background

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Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love this Apple Cranberry Crisp Recipe!

Toni Okamoto

Apple Crisp is an all-time fall favorite in my house. The only thing that makes a sweet, buttery apple crisp even better is the tart pop of cranberries! It’s the perfect balance of sweet and tart holiday flavors that brings guests back for more!

This cranberry apple crisp recipe makes a bubbly, sweet, and delicious comfort dessert that impresses any guest. It’s the simplest and most delicious vegan apple cranberry dessert you can make. With just a few ingredients, it’s totally doable for any level of cook, whether you’re new to cooking or just busy with other dishes in the kitchen. Just beware, once you make it you may be asked to bring it to every potluck and holiday party!

This delicious apple cranberry dessert is a dream with coconut whipped cream or a scoop of homemade vegan ice cream. Looking for another crisp recipe? You’ll love my easy nectarine crisp and this easy pear crisp.

Ingredients for a Cranberry Apple Crisp

All you need are a handful of simple, easy-to-find ingredients to make the best apple cranberry crisp with rolled oats! Let’s take a look at the most important ones. For the full list and quantities, check the recipe card and attached grocery list.

ingredients for Apple Cranberry Crisp measured out against a white surface
  • Flour: I use all-purpose but you can substitute almond flour or your favorite flour.
  • Sugar: This recipe uses brown sugar (light or dark) in the topping and sugar in both the topping and the apple filling.
  • Vegan Butter: Cold vegan butter gives the crisp topping its rich, buttery flavor without any dairy.
  • Rolled Oats: Use regular old-fashioned oats (not the quick kind) for more texture. 
  • Lemon Juice: For this recipe, it’s ok to use fresh squeezed or concentrate.
  • Cinnamon: Adds a hint of warm, sweet spice to the apple filling.
  • Dried Cranberries: Using dried cranberries makes this dish easier to make year around. Have a bag of fresh cranberries? Turn them into my orange cranberry sauce.
  • Apples: Choose your favorite baking apple, but I enjoy cooking with Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Cortland. I don’t bother peeling them since it saves so much time, but feel free to peel yours if you prefer.

How To Make Apple Cranberry Crisp Vegan

Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the complete recipe instructions!

Preparation Step

  • Start making this delicious dessert by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
process of mixing brown sugar into bowl of oats

Step 1: In a large bowl, use a pastry cutter or knife to cut the flour, brown sugar, salt, and 2 Tablespoons of sugar into the cold vegan butter. Continue blending until it becomes coarse.

oats and flour in a bowl

Step 2: Next add the oats and mix together by hand until it’s in pebble-sized pieces. Then put the bowl in the freezer so it can harden up a bit.

process shot of juicing lemon into bowl of apples

Step 3: While the mixture is in the freezer, mix the lemon juice, cinnamon, dried cranberries, and remaining sugar in a separate bowl with the chopped apples.

pre bakedmixture of apple and oat mixture in a baking dish

Step 4: After mixing, transfer the apple mixture to a baking dish and sprinkle the frozen topping thoroughly across the top. Finally, place in the oven and bake for 55 to 65 minutes. Once the top is golden brown and the apples are tender, remove it from the oven. Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Toni’s Recipe Tips 

  • When chopping your apples, make sure to slice them thinly so they become fully tender. No one wants a crunchy apple in their apple cranberry crisp.
  • This apple cranberry dessert is best served freshly baked and warm. It will be okay for a couple of days, but the topping can start to soften up if left in the fridge for too long.
  • Any apple will do for this recipe, but a popular choice would be Granny Smith apples to prevent an overly sweet dessert.

FAQs for Cranberry Apple Crisp

What is the best type of apple to use when baking?

There are many great apples to choose from, but Granny Smith, Cortland, and Honeycrisp are a few to try. You can even do a mixture of apples!

Does it matter what size I chop the apples?

It is best to cut the apples into small, consistent pieces so that they cook evenly and have a similar texture once cooked. Aim for one-quarter-inch slices when cutting the apples.

Can I make this dessert ahead of time?

This crisp freezes well for up to 3 months. Prepare as directed and freeze in an oven-safe pan. Thaw the night before and bake as directed.

Should I peel the apples when making a crisp?

When it comes to peeling apples for this recipe, it’s a personal preference. I leave the skins on to save time, and they soften nicely as the crisp bakes. Peel them first if you prefer.

completed Apple Cranberry Crisp with a piece plated on a small white plate against a white background

Variations on Apple and Cranberry Crisp

Even though this recipe calls for apples and cranberries, you can make it with many different fruits. 

  • Not in the mood for apples? Use peaches, nectarines, or apricots instead. 
  • Don’t like cranberries? Try this vegan dessert with other berries. If it is summertime, go to your local berry farm and pick some fresh blueberries or blackberries to substitute or add to this recipe!
  • Don’t have any cinnamon? You can also make this with pumpkin spice instead of cinnamon.
  • Want to make individual crisps? Make your apple cranberry crisps in individual ramekins instead!
  • Like nuts? Add some toasted walnuts or pecans to the topping!

Serving Suggestions

The best way to serve this is with a generous dollop of coconut whipped cream. For an added bonus, make some homemade caramel sauce and drizzle it on top!

Prefer Ice Cream? Make some homemade or serve it up with a scoop of your favorite vegan ice cream brand or banana ice cream.

Serve warm! For the best flavor, serve up this cranberry apple crisp with rolled oats when it’s still hot or warm (or warm up leftovers in the oven or zap them in the microwave briefly!)

Storage Instructions

Prep ahead: You can prep this apple cranberry crisp ahead by preparing the filling and crumble topping and storing them separately in the fridge. Remove both from the fridge 20 minutes before baking, assemble, and bake as written.

Fridge: Once baked, leftovers will store, covered, at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

Freezer: It is also freezer friendly for up to 3 months (either baked or fully assembled but unbaked). Simply thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating it.

More Vegan Fruit Crisps to Enjoy!

If you tried this apple cranberry crisp recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!

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Apple Cranberry Crisp

5 from 58 votes
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Apple cranberry crisp in a baking dish with a serving on a small white plate.
You don't want to miss this 5-star apple cranberry crisp recipe! It is a great twist on the classic apple crisp dessert and shines at holiday celebrations. It makes the perfect homestyle comfort dessert that’s good for the soul, especially on a cold fall day. 
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Ingredients 

  • ¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (37 g) brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
  • 2 Tablespoons (25 g) sugar for the topping
  • ½ cup (113 g) vegan butter cold, cut into small cubes
  • 1 cup (90 g) rolled oats
  • 6 apples chopped (peeling is optional)
  • 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup (120 g) dried cranberries
  • ½ cup (100 g) sugar for the filling

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
    ingredients for Apple Cranberry Crisp measured out against a white surface
  • In a large bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, salt, and 2 Tablespoons of sugar.
    ingredients for Apple Cranberry Crisp measured out against a white surface
  • Use a pastry cutter or knife to cut the cold vegan butter into the flour mixture until it looks coarse.
    process of mixing brown sugar into bowl of oats
  • Add the oats and mix by hand into pebble-sized pieces.
    oats and flour in a bowl
  • Place the bowl of topping in the freezer while you make the filling.
    two individual bowls of apple mixture and filling mixture against a white surface
  • In a medium bowl, toss the chopped apples with the lemon juice, cinnamon, dried cranberries, and remaining ½ cup of sugar.
    process shot of juicing lemon into bowl of apples
  • Pour the apple mixture into a 9×13 baking dish.
    Apple and cranberry filling spread in a white baking dish.
  • Sprinkle the frozen topping evenly across the apples.
    Unbaked apple cranberry crisp with oat topping in a baking dish.
  • Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the apples are tender.
    Apple cranberry crisp in a baking dish with a serving on a small white plate.
  • Let the crisp cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
    Completed Apple Cranberry Crisp with a piece plated on a small white plate against a white background.

Notes

  • Slice the apples thinly so they become fully tender as they bake.
  • I leave the apple peels on to save time. Peel them first if you prefer.
  • Any baking apple works, but Granny Smith apples keep this dessert from getting overly sweet.
  • This crisp is best served warm on the day it’s baked. Leftovers keep in the fridge, but the topping softens over time.
  • Thank you to Jake for developing this recipe!

Nutrition

Calories: 509kcalCarbohydrates: 91gProtein: 4gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 7.7gSodium: 341mgPotassium: 291mgFiber: 7.5gSugar: 59gVitamin A: 781IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1.7mg

Additional Info

Author: Jake
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Method: Oven
Diet: Vegan
Tried this recipe?Please tag us at @PlantBasedOnABudget! 🙂
About

Toni Okamoto

“They say you are what you eat, so I strive to be healthy.
My goal in life is not to be rich or wealthy,
‘Cause true wealth comes from good health and wise ways…
we got to start taking better care of ourselves ” – Dead Prez

More about Toni Okamoto
5 from 58 votes (45 ratings without comment)

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  4. 5 stars
    Cranberries and apples are the best combination! I love the mixture of sweet and tart in this recipe. Delish!

    Reply